1. What is ‘Obamacare’ and when does it start?
The original name of ‘Obamacare’ is the ‘Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’ (PPACA). It is a health insurance-related bill of the US federal government, and is also called ‘Obamacare’ after the name of President Obama who promoted this law. As you can see from the original name, the purpose of this bill is to “protect patients and provide affordable medical benefits to the people.” Obamacare was enacted as a ‘law’ on March 23, 2010, and it went into effect on January 1, 2014 after the Supreme Court ruled it constitutional in June 2012.
2. Fines for not signing up for Obamacare
Starting in January 2014, you will be fined if you do not sign up for health insurance. 2014: $95/person (50% for children), $285 for the whole family or 1% of income, whichever is greater 2015: $325/person (50% for children), $975 for the whole family or 2% of income, whichever is greater 2016 and later: $695/person (50% for children), $2,085 for the whole family or 2.5% of income, whichever is greater
3. Obamacare benefits
Obamacare determines the level of government benefits based on a household’s income and the number of dependents.
4. Federal Poverty Level
The Federal Poverty Level refers to the basic cost of living required to maintain a basic standard of living established by the federal government each year. It is an income standard that determines eligibility for various social welfare benefits for low-income households.
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5. Government subsidies based on income
Based on the benefits of Obamacare, all believers fall into one of the following six categories:
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5.-1 Those who are 65 years of age or older and receive Medicare benefits from the government
Obamacare is for those aged 0-64, so those who receive Medicare benefits are not eligible.
5.-2 Those who receive health insurance benefits from their workplace
It’s okay if you receive health insurance from your workplace. However, if the company provides insurance only to the employee, the spouse or family can enroll in Obamacare with government support based on income.
5.-3 Those whose household income is 138% or less of the federal poverty level (refer to the 2.1 Federal Income Poverty Level Table)
If your annual household income is 138% or less of the federal poverty level, you can receive free health insurance benefits from the government. This free health insurance is called Medicaid (Medical in California). About 16 million people nationwide and about 2.6 million people in California will receive this benefit.
5.-4 Those whose household income is 138% or more but less than 400% of the federal poverty level
If your household income is 138% or more but less than 400% of the federal poverty level, the government will subsidize 70% to 94% of the insurance premium depending on your income. (Premiums are determined between 2% and 9.5% of household income.)
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More detailed premiums and government subsidies can be found on each state’s Exchange site.
(For Washington State, visit www.wahealthplanfinder.org.)
5.-5 Those whose household income is 400% or more of the federal poverty level
If your household income is 400% or more of the federal poverty level, you must sign up for health insurance without government assistance.
5.-6 Nonimmigrant visa holders or undocumented immigrants with permanent residency or lower
There are no benefits or responsibilities for those with permanent residency or lower. However, if you pay taxes with legal status, you can receive Obamacare benefits. One thing to note is that since everyone who receives government support in the future will have insurance, hospitals, which are for-profit organizations, will not properly treat those who do not have insurance, that is, those who cannot receive treatment. This is the most concerning part.
6. Obamacare Plan
6.-1 Silver Plan Obamacare plans are divided into four types: Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze.
Among them, the Silver Plan is the basic plan, and government subsidies are calculated based on the Silver Plan. Here, we will learn about the basic plan, the Silver Plan. The Silver Plan is structured in the form of a sliding scale benefit. This means that benefits are applied differently depending on income. The Silver Plan provides differential benefits to those who receive government benefits by dividing them into four levels based on income.
6.-2 Other Plans In addition to the Silver Plan, ‘Obamacare’ also has the Platinum, Gold, and Bronze Plans.
These plans have different benefits and different premiums depending on the benefits. The Platinum Plan has a monthly premium of about 40% more than the Silver Plan, but has a lower deductible, and the Gold Plan has a monthly premium of about 20% more than the Silver Plan, but has a lower deductible. Bronze has a higher deductible, but it pays about 20% less in premiums per month compared to the Silver Plan. Since the government provides subsidies based on the Silver Plan, if you sign up for the Gold Plan, you will have to pay the difference in premiums.
6.-3 Healthcare Sharing Ministry (HSM), Christian Medical Mutual Aid Association
The government designated the Healthcare Sharing Ministry (HSM), a Christian healthcare plan, as an Obamacare religious penalty-free plan for Christians to sign up for. Four Christian organizations that have been operating well nationwide since before 2000 were designated, and Christian Mutual Med-Aid, which is proudly operated primarily by Koreans, was included.
7. Guidelines for Enrollment
7.-1 Exchange
The federal government has established an exchange in each state where individuals or small groups (less than 100 employees) can shop for health insurance, and California has established an exchange called “Covered California.” (You can find the Exchange of your state by searching the website.) Those who receive government subsidies based on their personal income can sign up through the state government’s “Exchange.” Please note that the insurance companies participating in Obamacare are different in each state, and the history of the insurance companies you can sign up for is different for each county. All of these details are detailed on each state’s Exchange site.
7.-2 Enrollment Period and Start of Insurance
You can sign up between October 1, 2013 and March 31, 2014, and you can use the insurance starting January 1, 2014. You must renew between October 1 and December 31 each year.
7.-3 Those whose household income is 138% or less of the federal poverty level
Recommendation for Medicaid benefits, a free health insurance provided by the government
7.-4 Those whose household income is 138% or more of the federal poverty level
The following criteria may be applied based on the insurance premium burden ratio.
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7.-5 Nonimmigrant visa holders below permanent residents or undocumented immigrants
Those who legally reside and file tax returns can receive government support to enroll in Obamacare. In the case of illegal residents, there is no government support, so they should choose a plan with appropriate price and benefits among the plans of general insurance companies or the plans of the Healthcare Sharing Ministry, just like those who are over 400% of the government poverty level. It is recommended that those with low incomes also enroll in a plan that prepares for emergencies, and it is recommended that they compare the emergency plans of general insurance companies or the emergency plans of the Healthcare Sharing Ministry and choose a plan with appropriate price and benefits.
8. Conclusion
Those with low incomes who can receive a lot of government support should receive benefits through insurance provided by the government, and those with high incomes who do not receive much or no government support should receive benefits through the Healthcare Sharing Ministry. If Christians can come together and solve the health insurance problem on their own, the issues of the VeriChip and abortion that some are concerned about can also be solved.
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